GARFIELD — More than 1,000 acres in two undeveloped Ozarks tracts were dedicated Friday as protected conservation sites and named in honor of two former Wal-Mart leaders and their wives.
The Rob and Melani Walton Nature Preserve, just outside Garfield, contains 410 acres bordered by the Devil’s Eyebrow Natural Area and Beaver Lake. The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission owns and manages the Devil’s Eyebrow.
Rob and Melani Walton are major contributors to The Nature Conservancy, which acquired the land. The Little Rock-based nonprofit acquires and manages wildlife habitat and contributes to other conservation projects on private land. It is an affiliate of the international conservancy, which has its headquarters in Arlington, Va.
Rob Walton is the eldest son of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. founder Sam Walton. He retired earlier this year as chairman of the board of directors. Melani Walton is his wife.
The Lee and Linda Scott tract at the Kings River Preserve contains 608 acres in Carroll County. The tract adds to 5,200 acres of Nature Conservancy land along 10 miles of the Kings River south of Eureka Springs. Lee Scott is the former president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart. Linda Scott is his wife.
Garfield Mayor Gary Blackburn and Gateway Mayor Frank Hackler joined officials from The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Wal-Mart on Friday in a private ceremony to honor the Waltons and the Scotts for their contributions to obtaining the land.
Plans are to open the areas to the public for outdoor recreation. Having land preserved for hiking and recreation is a boon for the area, officials said.
“This is extremely important for Garfield,” Blackburn said. “Before, people were passing through Garfield going to Pea Ridge, to Rogers, Bentonville and Beaver Lake. Now, Garfield will be a destination.”
Guy McCollum of Fort Worth bought the 410 acres in the Walton tract in 2001. McCollum said at Friday’s gathering that he purchased the land from several landowners and sold it to The Nature Conservancy.
Two huge rock columns flank the entrance to the secluded, undeveloped forested area. The flat land near the entrance is covered with berry patches. McCollum said blackberries, raspberries and huckleberries were planted there years earlier.
“Working through the historic Acres for America Conservation program, Walmart and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently awarded a grant to The Nature Conservancy to create the Rob and Melani Walton Nature Preserve,” according to a brochure presented at the event.
Scott Simon, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Arkansas chapter, lauded Rob Walton’s dedication to preservation and conservation of nature for future generations.
Theo Witsell, botanist and ecologist with the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, said many endangered species of plants and trees are on the site, including an orchid previously not found in Arkansas.
On a deck overlooking the King’s River valley tract, Simon said: “The Kings River is one of the most beloved rivers for canoeing and smallmouth bass fishing.”
He praised Lee Scott for his dedication to preserving the river and surrounding lands.
During the ceremony, a mature male bald eagle flew over the gathering at Kings River Deck House, drawing the attention of Mark Clippinger, park superintendent for Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area. The deck house was constructed in 1970 by the Liedtke family of Houston, according to Nature Conservancy literature. The house is surrounded by land owned by the Conservancy, which established the Kings River Preserve in 2010.
The 608-acre addition to the property was made in 2013 and added 2 miles of riverfront to the preserve.
“Funding for the acquisition was significantly supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Walmart’s Acres for America Program,” according to The Nature Conservancy literature.
Lee Scott was president of Wal-Mart when the company started the Acres for America Program in 2005. The company pledged $35 million over 10 years to buy and preserve an acre of wildlife habitat for every acre of land the company developed.
The goal was to preserve 138,000 acres, but the program obtained five times as much suitable acreage. The 690,000 acres obtained so far throughout the United States totals more than 1,000 square miles.